The Trepid Lion
by earthly squib
Summary: When the wards fall around Privet Drive in the summer before his fifth year at Hogwarts, questions start arising about a secret that Harry, and his mother before him, went to great lengths to keep buried. (Or: In 1993, Harry Potter finds his mother's birth certificate. Nothing is ever the same).


Prologue

The day Harry found out, it was raining.

He'd been staying at the Leaky Cauldron for a week—seven warm, sunny days of freedom from the Dursleys—when he woke up to a grey window, blurred by mist. The flagstones outside were slick, gleaming, and sheets of water rippled through the street. Witches and wizards bustled through the alley, wands pointed to the sky, invisible umbrellas shielding them from the downpour.

A day indoors didn't sound too bad. After all, Harry had no umbrella and couldn't use his magic to make one. He could eat downstairs, where they sold a soup that had the remarkable ability to warm you all the way down to your fingers and toes. Just remembering it made his stomach grumble, loudly.

But as the thought occurred to him, Harry realised why he couldn't stay inside. He'd run out of money. If he wanted soup, or dinner for that matter, he'd need to visit Gringotts, the grand wizarding bank at the end of Diagon Alley.

So, Harry pulled on the jumper Mrs Weasley made for him in second year. It was a bit small for him now, not quite reaching his wrists, but it was still the warmest thing he owned. He tried fixing his hair—

"You're fighting a losing battle there, my dear," said the mirror.

Then, he made his way downstairs and ducked out into the rain.

Later, Harry wondered what would have happened if he didn't go to Gringotts that day. He pondered what might have happened if he didn't blow up Aunt Marge, if he hadn't spent the last of his money on ice cream the day before, if he'd decided to wait until the next day to visit the bank and survived on the sweets he was hoarding in his trunk. Because if just one of these things had happened, Harry wouldn't have needed to go to the bank that day, and if Harry wasn't at the bank that day, Gnarlak might never have found him.

.

"Key please," said the goblin, without looking up.

Harry placed the key on the counter and waited.

The goblin seemed to be busy with some other business and spent a few minutes muttering to himself while shuffling through a stack of papers. Eventually, when Harry was beginning to get impatient, the goblin put the papers aside and picked up the key.

"Ah," muttered the goblin, examining Harry's key. "Potter vault, eh?"

"Um, yes," said Harry.

The goblin raised an eyebrow. "You are Harry Potter then?"

Harry withheld a sigh. "That's me."

The goblin made a thoughtful noise and passed the key back to Harry. "You're wanted in Family Affairs."

Harry frowned. "Family Aff—

"Yes, yes. Family Affairs," said the goblin, impatiently. He gestured to a desk on the other side of the room. "Hurry up, now. I don't have all day."

The goblin adjusted his reading glasses and went back to his papers.

Harry stepped back from the counter, bewildered. Slowly, he turned on the spot and began making his way to the desk the goblin had pointed at. When he reached it, he hesitated. Sat behind the desk was an older goblin. His skin was leathery, and his nose was especially long and sharp.

The goblin looked up from his paperwork when Harry approached and set down his quill.

"Mr Potter?" asked the goblin, squinting.

Harry shifted. "Yes."

So far, the goblins had been quite dismissive of Harry. The sudden attention was beginning to make him feel very apprehensive.

"I require your wand and your key for identification."

"I'm sorry," said Harry. "What is this about?"

"_Wand _and_ key._"

Realising he would get nothing more out of the goblin, Harry handed them over. The goblin examined them for a moment and once he appeared satisfied, he passed them back to Harry. Then, the goblin disappeared behind the desk re-emerged with folder, of all things.

It was slim—filled only with a few papers. Harry noted that the parchment looked old, like the pages inside one of Ron's second-hand school books.

"My name is Gnarlak, Mr Potter," said the goblin, dropping the folder on the counter. "I oversee Family Affairs. Due to recent legislation passed by the Ministry, there are several documents that we are obligated to release to you."

He tapped a yellowed, talon-like fingernail against the folder. "This is yours. Take it and go."

Apparently, that was all the explanation Harry was getting, because Gnarlak then dipped his long noise to the desk, picked up his quill and proceeded to scratch away at the parchment.

With a shrug, Harry took the folder and returned to the first goblin to ask again about seeing his vault. He'd look at the folder when he got back to the Leaky Cauldron.

It couldn't be anything too important.

_._

_M. W. ADOPTION AGENCY _

FILE #425

THE CONTENTS OF THIS FILE ARE CLASSIFIED. THE CONTENTS OF THIS FILE PERTAIN TO SECTION B OF THE _PARENTIUM CUSTODIUM _LEGISLATION. THE CONTENTS OF THIS FILE MUST NOT BE SHARED WITH ANY THIRD PARTY. TO DO SO IS A VIOLATION OF THE _SANGUINIUS PURA _LAW AND IS A CRIME PUNISHABLE BY IMPRISONMENT IN AZKABAN.

MOTHER (ADOPTED): ROSE EVANS (b.1935)

FATHER (ADOPTED): DANIEL EVANS (b.1934)

MOTHER (BLOOD): MOLLY PREWETT (b. 1945)

FATHER (BLOOD): ARTHUR WEASLEY (b.1945)

SUBJECT: LILY EVANS

BIRTH DATE: 30/01/1960

ADOPTION DATE: 01/02/1960

SIGNED: COLLETTE PREWETT

WITNISSED BY: NATHANIEL WEASLEY

ADOPTION STATUS: **CLOSED**


End file.
